Heres a finished sketch of Jupiter from a Dec 14 observation lasting 90 minutes under 4-6/10 Pickering seeing. Under these conditions then features never looked etched or sharp or crisp but reveal in a leisurely manner with a fair amount of softness. Its not BAD seeing but its work to make things out with any certainty that show without question under 7/10 or better.

Some points of note....

The South Polar region didnt cough up a single spot b ut in this seeing I dont feel too bad. Is 1" or less in detail and the seeing really was never there definitively. What DID show in place of the white spots were dark regions. These dark spots are the surrounding gases of a dark value which was strong enough to come through owing to there more generous surface area - but never a single spot. And I tried.

GRS had color unmistakebly but its buddy did not. The Monolith was seen to come and go.

The grey part of the SEB preceding the GRS has a little mottled with at least two spots darker withn it.

The spot or circular hollow appeared double which Im guessing is the seeing morphing the spot hither and yon. This was a persistent effect however and I was frankly surprised it wasnt in a CCD image of comparable CM shot the same night. Odd.

Festoons have appeared blue in good seeinjg but tonight was merely greyish. A gentle low contrast wash filled he EQ zone but only the center swath. Festoons were wonderfully smooth.

NEB had interesting dips and hollows. Indeed there was itnerior detail too but fleeting and I didnt document its exact position.

The NTB was kind of ignored, sorry.

The North Polar region had this darkening along its edge as drawn.

Magnification ceiling was 200x though forays into higher ags were tried with somewhat profitable but limited results.
I DID resolve Ios flattened diffraction appearance at 364x - sketch coming. The seeing made this possible but here the magnification truly needed here showed well just how soft the seeing was and could be. Through it all the egg shape was seen but with work - such is the challenge of 5 pickering.

Hope you like.

Pete

Attached Files

Wow, Pete, still a great sketch for average conditions. I haven't been able to view Jupiter in a while now (darn clouds). You are seeing some great details in the SPR. Is it starting to darken a bit? Last time I viewed it in the 72mm refractor it looked all but washed out.

Jason I think the south polar region has darkened up a bit, at least in this hemisphere. I do recall it lighter particularly in my 70mm too. But that was a month ago and it was fairly straightforward the other night. I thought they were neck and neck actually.

Pete, you get an amazing amount of detail at that seeing. I had a bought of 5 and 6/10 seeing later during the night and simply saw a blurred disc with 2 fuzzy belts. A little more when it calmed a bit.

And if you captured the darker circumference of the white spots, that's gotta be cool, too. They elude me. I guess that's the virtue of a little more aperture and probably skill, too.

I wonder if those darker spots in the wake preceding the GRS were really there or if they were defining some brighter albedo. There are a few occasions where images and visual do not match. The NEB wake is a good example. Visually, they appear as a well defined white streak. In images they are so well resolved they seem to loose that prominence.

You know, same thing, I think those dips and hollows are actually lighter clouds along the northern NEB. Yes, at that meridian there is some inner detail. It's a bit stronger toward and beyond the preceding limb.

All in all, great sketch and observation given the seeing, Pete. Especially the color in the GRS. To me, it seems less salmon and more burnt orange. And easier than BA, too.

You know what Norme, the two spots are approximations of two values. lights and darks and it could be the glass is half empty or full. I didnt know hpw to call it with certainty but there was a fluctuation in intensity there which I avereged out in two grey spots. It was a muddl, but they were certain enough to call. The ccd image itself shows a lost muddle. I caught uneven lighting n several occaisions there.

What flabbergased me was that light spot on the seb appearing double with the other spot being half its size and nearly touching and it never existed. I left it out bu you saw it in the drawing i sent email.

Pete, if they are the same spots, there are actually two brighter ones preceding the GRS exactly where you sketched it. I can see both of them visually, but only one shows in images. They are pretty close to each other, the trailing one (I think) that does not show in images is a bit north and really looks to be a "lump" in the wake.

Dude, redo the sketch and put it back! It's there! (Kidding) I am sure you saw it, maybe seeing just didn't allow it to be seen with any confidence. I can dig that.

Anyway, Pete, when I saw your sketch my jaw dropped. Really. There is just something about it that is striking. Detail, color, artwork? All of that?

This sketch looks very good with your not so great seeing.My last look at Jupiter earlier last week gave a view similar to yours but with poorer seeing and less detail, I didn't bother sketching.Well done and fine colors.

Jason I think the south polar region has darkened up a bit, at least in this hemisphere. I do recall it lighter particularly in my 70mm too. But that was a month ago and it was fairly straightforward the other night.

I agree. The SPR and everything north to the SEB has been apparent to me for the past few viewing sessions. Previously, I could detect the SPR but nothing else south of the SEB.

Thanks guys. I think 5/10 seeing is the last hold out where a sketch is doable with any sense of detail. Last years 3-4 seeing all thru November showed me two belts a muddled EZ and a smeared pale GRS. On a 7/10 night the 70mm shows more than the 8" in 3/10.

Jason I think the south polar region has darkened up a bit, at least in this hemisphere. I do recall it lighter particularly in my 70mm too. But that was a month ago and it was fairly straightforward the other night.

I agree. The SPR and everything north to the SEB has been apparent to me for the past few viewing sessions. Previously, I could detect the SPR but nothing else south of the SEB.

Thanks for the support. Andre I'm glad you like the colors. I'm finding my way with the pastels I've been using in trying to strike a decent balance for all hues. Photo editing software goes a long way in keeping with the intentions of the original. I'd be unhappy without it.